The maneating leopardess of F.R.I (Truth behind the story)

[prashantsingh]

Coming back to the room we sat down for a meeting.
Every one gave their opinion on where the maneater could have gone.
But I was thinking about the poor animal. I wished we had killed it cleanly.
I was thinking about the pain and suffering the animal must be going through right now.
Clutching my rifle in hand. I was hoping God had given me just one more chance to put in that second shot and relieve the leopard of it's pain.
After about and hour of discussion , I went to the toilet to take a leak.
The moment I came out I saw the entire team standing outside the door.
"Dr Saab. Ab to rifle rakh do (keep the rifle down). We are in the room, not in the jungle." said Samarjeet.
I realised I still had my rifle on my shoulder.

[prashantsingh]

At dawn break we resumed the operation.
None of us got a minute's sleep. We were waiting for the night to pass.
Before dawn. At 6 15 a.m.
There were more than 20 forest guards along with the Range Officer, the DFO and the Estate Manager (the gentleman in the first snap) assembled to help us retrieve the maneater.
The lantana undergrowth was so thick that it had to be cut through.
The maneater lay dead. Stone dead. Barely 50 meters from where we last left the blood trail.
Rigor mortis had set in and the body was stiff

Singh came up to me and shook my hand. "Good Shot".
But from within , I knew. It wasn't.

The hunt was over.

The most beautiful of God's creations.
Reduced to a stinking mass of dead flesh.

May I request you to put the snap of the dead animal Zaheer. It was a horrible sight.
Viewers discretion is recommended.

[zaheer.bakshi]

[prashantsingh]

In the first snap you can see the damage caused by the gut shot. The stomach and the intestinal contents are out.

In the second snaps you ave the Shikari Dal with the Forest Officials.
From Left to Right
Sitting : M.Thomas, Kr Sanjay Singh, Prashant Singh and Zaheeruddin Bakshi
Standing : Panditjee (in jacket) , Samarjeet Singh (beard) and Sudhir Raghav.

Some people on facebook have compared this snap to snaps taken in the Colonial Past.
There is a stark difference and purpose of taking such a snap when compared to those taken by Trophy Hunters of Yesteryears

[prashantsingh]

As you can see
No one in this picture is smiling.
Unlike the hunters of the past . No one is treating the dead animal with disrespect.
Infact the shooters are sitting next to the carcass .
You all must have seen numerous photos where the hunters would put one foot on the ground and the other on the dead animal.

The reason why we do this is simple.
I have been hunting maneaters for the past 5 years. Singh has been doing it for 18 years.

In these 18 years. This was his 12th maneater.

There are hunters in the state who came in much later and are close to making records. Where ever Singh has hunted a maneater the human killings have stopped. There have been times where two so called "maneaters" had previously been shot by other Shikaris. Yet the killings continued. Only after Singh shot the culprit did the killing stop.
For us. It is not about the numbers. It's all about the getting the killer.
In one of our hunts the outrage amongst the locals was so much that they were ready to hack the animal into small pieces. With great difficulty could we release the dead animal from the mob and get it in one piece to the Forest Rest House.
Thereafter it was decided (by the team) that whenever the animal is shot. We will transport it immideatly to the Rest House.
As a hunter we have to surrender the carcass safely to the Forest Dept. Not a whisker should be missing. Not a claw out of place.

[prashantsingh]

Assuming we were to post the photo of the dead leopard ONLY in the newspapers.
Do you think people would believe it.
The Locals would say "They have taken the photo from somewhere and put it up here.
The net result
ZERO.
They would still see every innocent leopard as a maneater and Victimize it.
When we hunt. There is a lot of interaction with the locals.
The Shikar team interacts with them and takes them into confidence.
We may not recognise them . But THEY NEVER FORGET US.
A photograph like this on the front page of the local News Paper.
IS NOT TO SATISFY OUR EGOS
But
To SATISFY THE LOCALS THAT THE MANEATER HAS BEEN KILLED.
They recognise each member of the Shikar Team and understand that we have accomplished the task given to us.

Unfortunately . The photo also reaches those who without knowing the truth make casual remarks.

[zaheer.bakshi]

The village boy posing with Prashant Singh Rifle

[prashantsingh]

Now for the last part. Which for me was more satisfying that the hunt.

19 March
I got a call from this boy at 10 p.m. He lives in a village behind FRI.
"Bhai saab aapne galat guldaar maar diya" .(u have shot the wrong animal) He said .
I asked him why?
He told me that he was coming back from FRI and he saw this big leopard. Bigger than the one we had shot. The leopard was ferocious and looked aggitated. He was roaring repeatedly and crossed the road infront of him.In thick jungle very close to the Jungle Trek route. Our man was on a bike with a friend.They were scared to hell and managed to "save their lives" from the ferocious beast. He had managed to take this photo as the fled and would send it to me on whatts app immediately.
"I swear this is the real maneater. Come right away and shoot it".
I told him to relax and listen to me carefully.
I told him the maneater had been shot and there was nothing to fear. He had seen the operation and should have faith on us. I told him this must be the male. The maneaters mate who has now come looking for her.
Did he sound like this. And I replicated the short deep throated grunt which leopard give "Haaanh......Haaanh"
He said Yes.
I then explained how the male returns looking for his female. Everytime we have shot a female.
"The leopard is calling out for the female and is not bothered about you. Just stay away from him and no one will be hurt. Once he doesnt find her. He will go away in a couple of days and carry on with life",
As I kept the mobile down I received this photograph from him.
I called him up and told him this was indeed the male we were talking about.
Adult Male leopards are bigger in size and more muscular. Their heads are rounder than the females.

Next morning (20th) I called up the Estate Manager (Mr Kunal I.F.S.)to inform him of the previous night's episode.
Mr Kunal laughted and said. "Dr Saab. I am standing right there . We have trapped the male."
I repeated the males behaviour which we had observed in all our previous hunts.
He said he will get back to me later in day.

In the evening I got a call from the DFO. The male had been successfully relocated.
I was thrilled and called up Mr Kunal to congratulate him.
"Congats Sir. I heard about the male's relocation". I said.
Mr Kunal laughed and jokingly replied :" Yes Dr Saab. We have saved the male from the shooters guns."

May I request Zaheer to post the last set of photographs of the captyred male , before putting an end to the story.

[zaheer.bakshi]

[essdee1972]

Prashantji, once again, a beautiful and touching write-up! One can feel the regret and sadness in your heart when you speak of the "The most beautiful of God's creations.
Reduced to a stinking mass of dead flesh."

And as for the trolls? Let them live out their lotus eater's dreams. None, repeat none, of them have the guts to spend a night in a forest certified to have no maneaters. Forget even that, they won't have the guts to speak to you face to face. The anonymity of the internet is what allows these people to blow their favourite trumpets.

I once came across a similar troll who had the gumption to criticise Corbett for doing what you have done.

[ckkalyan]

Thank you very much for the amazing images zaheer.bakshi!

[prashantsingh]

Met up with Col Vijay today.
An old time Shikari and presently in his late 70's, Col saab felt that the flash light was swithced a little early.
"You should have waited for the beast to kill the goat and once it had relaxed and started to feed on it, should you have taken the shot" . He said.
I explained to him that we were dealing with a maneater.
When you are shooting a maneater it's perhaps different from a Trophy Hunt.
The maneater had spotted us on the machaan the previous evening.
It was looking towards us on the second night as well.
It took it's time to pounce on the goat. Only when it was sure we were not there that it went ahead with the attack
.
When you are hunting a maneater you have to think like a maneater.
The first kill (the girl) was attacked and immediately dragged away.
Once it had killed the goat it would (perhaps) tend to drag the kill to a safe spot before feeding on it. Lest people may disturb it (again).
Since the goat was secured well with the sabbal (post). There was a strong possibility . It would have found out the catch and suspecting foul play .There was a strong chance that the maneater would have left the kill and run away.
Col Vijay agreed.

Here I feel . Zaheer did a fantastic job. His inner instinct guided him to switch on the flash light at the right moment . When the leopard had just pounced on the bait. From there it was on the shooters to get a clean shot.

This shoot has created the maximum turmoil for me as a shooter.
But I guess.
All's well. That ends well.

Yesterday. I went to pick up a few things I had left behind after the hunt. The cammo cloth which we use on the machaan (hide) and the sabbal.
A middle aged man walked up to me while I was waiting at the rest house (for my stuff to come) and touched my feet.
"Aapka bahut bahut dhanyawaad" (Thank You) He said.

That was my REWARD. Nothing else matters.

[Hammerhead]

I wish that I stay alive long enough to the day to shake your hand Mr.Prashant

You are a man of character and did a great service to the the people in need !!!

[timmy]

"Aapka bahut bahut dhanyawaad" (Thank You) He said.

That was my REWARD. Nothing else matters.

I wish that I stay alive long enough to the day to shake your hand Mr.Prashant.

Two special thoughts, and I fully agree.

Prashant, despite all of the storms, you have a treasure in your heart.

I hope that I may be in line, right behind Hammerhead, to shake your hand.

[prashantsingh]

Hey Hammerhead. I still have to hunt bear with Baljit in Canada. Will catch up with you on that trip.
And Timmy. Whenever you visit India. Include a trip to the Himalayan foothills.